Body position and hard opening

[darrenspooner 0]

I've been reading a bit over the past few months about how body position affects opening. I've been getting spanked by my Hornet 150 (1:1.3). I've tried every packing suggestion and its variable. Tried doing it how the manual says, plus just about everything else. The best it gets is that it doesn't hurt. A lot of the time it bruises me. My new rig is coming soon (Sabre2 150 and Javelin Odyssey), but for now I have to persevere.

Any tips on how my body position might be contributing towards this problem?

[Remster 30]

Are you sure that:

1- you track flat, not in a dive?
2- you really stop your track?
3- that your canopy is in trim?

Remster

[AggieDave 6]

Quote

2- you really stop your track?
3- that your canopy is in trim?

Those 2 are definately the biggies.

If you track hard and don't flare out of it, you're still really moving, it can give you a hard opening.

And line trim, that's HUGE, especially when a canopy used to open well, now its not.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[skyyhi 0]

Darren,

I understand that a Hornet (I have one) will spank hard if out of trim even a little bit. Have it checked by your rigger. As a side note, I bought mine used and noticed that the slider on mine is HUGE - nearly double the size of the slider on my Sabre 210. My Hornet always opens soft and on-heading though so not sure if its because of the big slider or body position or what. . .good luck to you.

________________________________________
Take risks not to escape life… but to prevent life from escaping. ~ A bumper sticker at the DZ
FGF #6
Darcy

[FrogNog 1]

Do you really weigh 115 pounds out the door? Or do you weigh 195 out the door? Wingloading is given pounds:square foot.

Sorry this isn't answering the question...

-=-=-=-=-
Pull.

[kelel01 1]

He probably meant 1.3:1. I've never heard anyone indicate a .77:1 wingloading as 1:1.3.

Are you de-arching in an attempt to slow your openings? I received some advice that instability can cause worse/harder openings than a slightly higher speed induced by a deeper arch. Just a thought.

[JohnMitchell 16]

The best body position is to throw out, then start to sit up as the canopy starts to open. I've never jumped a Hornet, but the previous comments indicate it may be out of trim or slider may be to small. I would recommend double stowing the lines, that is, wrapping the stow band around each byte of lines twice. This will slow the bag's speed down on deployment, reducing the chance the slider will get bounced down the lines prematurely when the last stows pull out and the canopy speeds back up to 120 mph. Worked for me. Let me know if you try it and how it worked, or didn't, for you.

[darrenspooner 0]

I'm 195 out the door.

Haven't thought about line trim, but its never opened soft. I might think about a bigger slider or slider pocket. Maybe I'll just put up with it til my new one gets here.

As for stopping the track, well, it happens when I do solo and go straight down the tube. My protrack says I'm not going too fast. I can only think its the canopy/slider rather than something I'm doing or not doing.

Any more suggestions greatly appreciated.

[darrenspooner 0]

Thanks. Been double stowing the lines for a while, but by this I mean using two rubber bands each time.

I think I might get filmed and see if there's anything obvious about what I'm doing during the actual deployment.

[jumperconway 0]

Roll the outer 4 cells on each side in toward the center and pull the slider out past the center cell a little. Definetly have a rigger check the line specs. I know several people that have had Hornets in the past with very soft openings.

[Squeak 17]

I also jmup a 150 Hornet loaded at 1.33:1 what I do is quater the slider( it's big), then I drag the front of the slider almost all the way foward, to cover the nose.
I roll the nose and push it a little way in (not past the lines)
Then I wrap the tail and roll it about 10 times.
Make CERTAIN the slider is ALL the way to the stops, 1 inch off and it can slam you.

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?